New Mexico Passes Bill to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors

On Saturday, the New Mexico Senate passed Senate Bill 259, which would require those involved in domestic violence situation to surrender their firearms. It would also prohibit the purchase of new guns while a protective order is in affect.

If the person is prohibited from possessing guns, they must hand over their firearms to a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) or someone who is legally allowed to possess a firearm.

“A cooling-off period, where a judge can assure there is not a gun in the mix, will undoubtedly help save lives,” saidSen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, the bill’s sponsor.

The bill passed with a 25-15 vote, almost on party lines.

“Restricting firearm access to domestic abusers will help keep our families safer from gun violence and domestic abuse. There is an incontrovertible and overwhelming reason why we should pass this bill. … It saves lives,” Miranda Viscoli, co-president of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence told NM Politics.

The bill is currently going to the New Mexico’s House of Representatives to be voted on.

Beth Baumann is a public relations professional in Northern Idaho. Beth is a campaign veteran who has worked on numerous state and federal elections. In 2014, she was the Communications Assistant for the American Conservative Union, where she helped plan and execute media relations strategies for CPAC 2014. She is an avid Second Amendment supporter and advocate and loves fishing in her free time. You can follow her on Twitter at @eb454.
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